Vending-machine.



H. A. THEXTON.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNBs, 1907.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. A. THEXTON. VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 351907.

91 1,091 Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

omino STATES PAT:

HENRY A. THEXTON, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND 'MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THEXTON STAMP-VENDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

vermine-Mmm.

No. 911,oe1.

Sp ecicationrof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, i909.

Application led June 3, 1907. Serial No. 377,%0.

To all whom 'it maycoflicem:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. THEXTON, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Machines, of which the. following is a specication.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine ca able of vending various articles but designe particularly for delivering postage stamps contained within a suitable envelop.

Postage stamps are kept for sale by news stands and drug stores merely as an accommodation to clerks are busy the person desiring a stamp, as for instance, a traveler at a. hotel, 1s obliged to Wait some attention. i

It is myobject therefore to provide a suitable receptacle containing envelops which the clerks may supply with stamps Aduring their leisure moments so that a patron or customer can, by. the deposit of acoin in the receptacle, obtain the desired number of stamps without anyA attention whatever on the art of the clerks.

T e invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In' the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vending machine embod illustrating the 4coin ying my invention,

deposited in the'machine and the mechanism ready to deliver the envelop. Fi 2 is a sectional viewof the lower portion o the machine showing the mechanism when it has com leted its forward strokeand the edge of t e envelop has been projected from the machine. Fig. 3 is a horizontal `sectional view on the line ,fcx of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line y-fy of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the envelop feeding device.

their customers and when the l time before receiving envelo s and removing the coins. The front wall 5 as a slot 10 through which the edges of the envelops containing the /stamps are projected. Mounted on the base 2 is a support 11 for a sliding plate 12. The support and plate have openings 13 and 14E which norpasses out of the chute it falls into the opening 141 and rests upon the top of the support 11. An arm 16 is mounted on a rock shaft 17 and'has a notch 18 in its lower end that 1s adapted to receive the edge of the coin ini sertedinto the chute, the opposite side of the coin bearing on the edge of the sliding plate 12 so that when the arm 16 is oscillated after the' de osit of a coin the sliding plate will be movedp also. The shaft 17 is provided with an operating handle19 and the-arm 16 'is held in a retracted position against a stop 20 by a spring 21. A lug 22 is provided on the low er end of the arm 16 in osition to engage the rear end of the sliding p ate and cause the continued forward movement of said plate after the coin has passed out of contact with the forward edge of said arm. This lug also strikes the fixed support 11 and limits the movement ofthe arm in one direction. The forward end of the plate 12 is provided with arms 28 spreading laterally from said plate in the form of a Y and adapted to engage the loose ilap of an'envelop that is placed on the plate with the flap on the under side as indicated 1n Fig. 1. The envelops are placed in the machine one u )on another and fed from the bottom, the pile drop ing by gravity as fast as the'envelops are ischarged, so that there will always be `one with flap in the path of the feed plate when it is projected forward.

I prefer to provide a weight 23 upon the pile of envelope to insure a continuous downward feed thereof as fast as the bottom one is fed out of the pile.

The discharge slot through which the envelops are delivered is normall covered by a sliding plate 24 that is adapte to move vertically between guides 25, and is carried by a depending 30 plate.

an arm 26 pivoted at 27 on a bracket 28. A spring 29 normally holds the said arm in its raised position and the plate 25 across the discharge slot to prevent anyone from tampering with the machine and removing an envelop Without the deposit of a coin. An arm 30 is carried by the sliding plate and provided with a beveled edge 81 in position to contact with a cam surface 32 on the arm 26,

so that when the said plate is projected the arm 26 will be depressed to force the plate 24 downwardly and expose the discharge slot. A pin 33 is mounted in the arm 26 and a iinger 34 carried by the plate 12 depends in position to pass under the pin 33 and lock it and the said arm against premature depression, or until such time as the plate 12 is projected forward after the deposit of a coin. A spring 35 is connected to the sliding plate and to a fixed pin for the purpose of with drawing said plate after the discharge of the envelop, and returning the parts to their normal position.

To operate the device lthe customer u ill deposit a coin, for instance a five-cent piece,

of the said plate will cause its Y-shaped end to engage the loose flap of the bottom envelop and feed it for ard. The foru'ard movement of the feed plate will actuate the arm 30 and its beveled end will cause the 40 depression of the arm 26 and open the discharge slot of the machine just at the time the envelo is moved forward and is about to enter t e said slot. When the envelop has been projected through the slot the customer n ill grasp it and draw it out from beneath the others and upon releasing the operating lever the springs v. ill return the feed plate and the oscillating arm to their normal position and the plate 24 u ill slide upv-,ardly past the discharge slot and prevent a second envelop. from being vithvdravn, and the fm er 34 passing beneath the pin 33 vill lock t ie plate 24 and the arm 26 in their raised access to t e envelops until the gap beti` een the arm 16 and the edge of the feed plate has been closed by theA deposit of another coin. In this v ay a pile of envelops can be fed out of the machine one at a time andin these envelops postage stamps aggregating preferably five cents 1n value may be placed. For instance, trio tvo-cent stamps and a one-cent stamp may be placed in each envelop, or in a great many instances, a

osition and positively 55 prevent de )ression t iereof and unauthorized person in a hurry, or a traveler, will frequently pay five cents for trio tuo-cent stam s and have them delivered immediate y out of a machine, rather than irait to receive the change from a clcrli. Vtlhere only four cents vforth of stamps are placed in the envelop a notice vfould preferaaly be placed on the machine to the etl'ect that upon the deposit. of a five-cent coin tvo tirocent stamps vvill be delivered. The placing of the stamps in the envelops, hmvevcr, of equal or less value to the coin deposited, 'will be optional uith the person having charge of the machine and generally \\ill be determined by the place ivhere the machine is used.

he envelops vfill be made of suitable size to carry the stamps conveniently and may be used as a cover for such stamps as are not required immediately at the time of operation of the machine.

l claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination, 'with a support, of a feed plate slidable thereon, an oscillating actuating means for said plate, said support being adapted to receive a coin deposited between said plate and said actuating means, said means moving in the are of a circle and havn ing a forward portion on its initial movement engaging the coin and forcing it against said plate to project the same and said means passing" out of engagement. vritli the coin and the coin being released and discharged aftcr said initial movement, and said actuating means having a rear portion that' engages dsaid plate and completes the stroke of the same after the release of the coin, substantially as described.

2. rlhe combination, with a horizontal guide or support, of a horizontal feed plate slidably mounted thereon and having an opening to receive a coin, and said guide normally forming the. bottom for said opening and supporting the coin in a horizontal position therein, and having a discharge opening in advance of the. part upon uhich the coin is deposited an actuating means arranged to engage the rear edge of the coin and force. its forzt ard edge against said feed plate to project the same, the coin dropping by gravity through said discharge opening from betveen said actuating means 'and feed plate at; a predetermined point after the initial movement of said actuating means and said actuating means having a part that engages said feed plate and completes its stroke after the release of said coin.

3. ln a machine of the class described, the combination, v ith a support or guide, of a feed plate slidably mounted thereon, and having an opening to receive a coin de )osited flat-vise upon' said guide, an oscillating actuating means arranged to engage the rear edge of the coin and force its forward edge the plate.

i' 5. In a machine of the class described,

against said feed plate to project the same, said uide having a discharge opening throug which` said coin drops by gravity from its horizontal position at a predetermined point in the travel of said feed plate and said actuating means moving on the arc of a circle and passing out of contact with the coin when it registers with said discharge opening.

4. In a'machine of the class described, the combination, with a support, or guide, of a feed late or plunger thereon, an oscillating arm iietween which and said feed plate the` coin is deposited fiatwise, said arm `during its initial movement contacting with the rear edge of said coin and the forward edge of said coin engaging said feed plate to project the same, said arm swinging on the arc of a circle and moving out of contact with said coin after its initial movement and permitting the release of the coin and said arnihavinga part to engage-the said plate Vafter the reease of the coin to complete the stroke of the combination, with a support or guide, of a feed late operating thereon, an oscillating arm etween which and said feed plate the coin is deposited in a horizontal position, said arm on its initial movement engaging the coin to move said feed plate and said arm out of engagement with said coin and releasing it after the initial movement of said arm and plate, and said arm having a lug nori'nally out of contact with said feed plate but ada ted to engage and'complete the stroke ol said plate when the coin has been released.

6. ln a machine of the class described, a support havin a coin discharge opening, a feed late or p unger operating thereon and also yiaving aA coin opening, an oscillating arm betweenA which, and said feed plate the coin yis depositedI upon said support, said arm on its initial movement engagingy the edge of the coin and forcing it against said feed plate to move the same, and said coin dropping down from between saidfeed plate and arm when itpasses over the coin discharge opening in said support,fand said arm having means to en age and complete the stroke of said feed plate after the discharge of the coin, substantially as described.

7. .In a vendingmachine, the combination, with a support'having a coin discharge opening, of a feed plate arranged to slide back and forth on said support and also having an opening to receive the coin in a horizontal position, the coin opening in said feed plate in its retracted position being out of register with the opening in said su port, a coin chute adapted to deliver t e coin tothe opening in saidfeed plate, an actuating means arranged to engage the rear edge of the coin and force `its forward edge against said feed plate to project the same, said actuating means releasing the coin and permitting it to drop through the discharge opening in said support when the opening in said feed` plate registers with the opening in said support, and said actuating means having a part to engage saidfeed late and complete the stroke of the same a 'ter the release of the coin.

8. In a vending machine the combination, with a support having a coin discharge opening, of a feed plate arranged to slide back and forth on said support and also having an opening to receive the coin in a horizontal position, the coin opening in said feed plate in its retracted position being out of register with the opening in said support, a coin chute adapted to deliver the coin to ythe o ening in said feed plate, an oscillating arm aving a forward edge adapted to engage the rear edge of the coin and force it against said feed plate to project the saine, said forward edge moving out of' contact with the coin to permit its discharge when the opening in the feed plate registers with the opening in said lsupport, land 'the rearedge of said arm Ahaving-a part to engage said feed plate and complete the stroke of the same when'said coin has been released.

9../The combination, with'av support, of a feed plate slidable thereon, an actuating means for said plate, vsaid support being ada ted to receive a coin deposited between sai plate and said actuating means,`said actuating means'swinging `on the are of a circle and having a forward edge adapted to enga e the rear of a coin and force it against said feed plate to project the saine, said for- Ward edge moving out of contact with the coin after the initial movement of said actuating means. and permitting the release land discharge of the coin from between said actuating means and feed plate and the rear portion of said actuating means'havin a part to engage said feed plate to comp ete the'stroke of the same after the release of the coin.

In Witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of June 1907 .l

HENRY A. THEXTON. Witnesses:

J. B. ERA, J. M. PATT. 

